Connecting plug



J 1932- v E. RIEMENSCHNEIDER 1 9 CONNECTING PLUG Filed Sept. 18, 1929 iss IN ENTOR W 1 i0,ed for use with automobile lamps.

Patented I June, 7, 1932 ERNEST nmnnnscnnnmnn, or nmnorr, mcmean, .nssrenon 'ro' roan MOTOR cou- 4 pm, or nmnsonn, MICHIGAN, A conronanon or DELAWARE comcrnvo PLUG rent carrying wires is required.

Still a furtherob1ect of my invention is to' providev a connecting plug especially adapt- Such lamps are usually provided with a reflector having one or'more lamp sockets therein.

nently to the sockets or they are held therein by screws or spring connections. In my improved connecting plug no screws or springs type fasteners are used nr secure the w res therein and further,- the parts are so arran' ed that the device may be asembled or ismantled without breaking any permanent electrical connection and without 'theuse of an tools whatsoever.

gtill a. further object of my invention is to provide of terminals completing each electric circuit individually urged against each other so that a good'electrical contact between the termi na s of each circuit may bemade independently of the other circuits, In my improved connecti plug each pair of'terminals -are 5 individua y resiliently ur' into contact 1 with each other by a helica spring disposed on one of the terminals so that regardless of the number of circuits provided forin the connector a positive electrical connection 5 will be provided for each circuit.

It is general'practice to run several wires from" these lamp sockets in the reflector to a gang.

15 socket in the lamp housinginto which a gang a connecting plug havingthe pairs. Y

The cap 13 and socket 12' are Application filed September is, 1929. Serial 110.3935.

With these and other objects in view, my

through one of the terminals, and

F1gure4 shows an enlarged sectional view .invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement. of the various parts of my improved device, as described in the specification, claimed in my claims, and

through the lamp housing showing the meansfor securing the connecting plug socket in the housing. v

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I

have used the reference numeral 10 to indicafe generally a lamp housing having my improved connecting plug installed thereon. A a

sleeve v 11' extended inwardly from any .con vement part of the housing 10 in position -'to support the connector plug and socket.v I

have shown the sleeve 11 extending from the v center rear wall of the housing but it may. be advisable in some t one side thereof. I

A socket 12 formed from an open ended tubular member is provided with an insulating cap-over one end which is held in position on the socket by projecti0ns'14, extend. mg from the cap, co-actingwith suitable I es'of Iain S to place thesleeve 11 near the ottom of t e lamp or at notches in the socket and by a plurality of y cars 15 formed onthe' socket 12 which are bent down over the rear face of the cap 13.

thus perma\ nently secured toge her,

"A tongue 16. is

the socket 12, was bent outwardly. so that unched fi'oni'one side of it may co-act'with an opening 1'1 formed inthe sleeve 11. This construction is illustrated in" Figure 4. ,The socket 12 is assembled in the sleeve 11 by p through the 'sleeve'from theinside of the lamp ousing until the tongu 16 "snaps into the opening 17 in the sleeve I .The projec- "tiom 'M-extemi radially the socket 12' 95 ushing the socket 2 rectly proportioning the device.

' 50 against radial movement.

and bear againstthe end of the sleeve '11 when the tongue 16 is in the opening .17. It may thus be .seemthat the socket 12 is anchored in the sleeve (11 against rotation or longitudinal movement without the use of.v any tools what'soever. When it is desired to remove the socket, the tongue 16' is pressed inwardly and the socket drawn out through the inside of the lamp housing.-. -Where a J portable connection is desired it is not necessary to anchor the sleeve 12 in a fixed member such as the housing 10, and it may be 0 left exposed or may be covered with an insulated cap as the user sees fit.

In the accompanying; drawing, I have shown terminals for three electrical circuits but it may be mentioned that this device is adapted for either single, double, or in fact,

w any reasonable number ofterminals by cor- Three wires 18 are shown extending within the housing 10, but more'or less maybe qused according to the number of circuits provided for. A terminal 19 is -soldered at 5 20 to the endof each Wire 18. Bushings'21 are secured in 'the cap 13 into-which the terminals 19 are reciprocally mountedr -A/ spring .22'ex tends between the soldered end of each'terminal 19 and its bushing 21 so that the terminal may be resiliently urged into the socket 12. VVhen two or more wires 1,8 are -used,similar terminals, springs and bushings are provided for each wire which arepreferably spaced equally around the pcriphery of .thecap 13., I

. A cylinder 23, preferably made from insulating material *such as moldedrubber or bak'elit'e, is provided for securing mating terminals. 24 which are fastened on the ends of wires 25 in position to co-act with the terminals 19. When three circuits are used, thecyli'nder' 23 is provided with three slots 26 equally spaced around and extending the length of the cylinder. ,The inner end of the cylinder 23 is provided with a counterbore l 27 aligned with the bottom of each s1ot 26 .to receive the terminals '24. The tounterbores 27, being of greater diameter than the width of the slots 26, secure the terminals To assemble the device it is 0111 necessary to place the wires 25 into the s ots 26 and then draw these wires rearwardly until the terminals 24 are seated in the .counterbores 27. The terminals 24 are thus held against radial movement-and movement towards the rear oi the cylinder 23. v

The wires 25. are usually manufactured in the form of a multiple conductor havingan 'outer covering 28. An armoured cable 29 is sometimes provided. onthe cb'vering 28 to give a more pleasing appearance mam pro-- tect the cab eflfr'omen such armoured cable is provid a sleeve 430i:- 66. secured to the end. of the cable 29 which; is

minals 24 are seated in the counterbores 27.

cause they are positively held in the-counterprovided With-a flange 31 extending radially v therefrom. A coupling sleeve 32 co-acts with the flange 31 to'form a water tight connection between the parts when in the assembled position. A pail-of bayonet type slots 33 are provided in the .socket12 which coacts with pins-34 extending inwardly from the coupling 32 so that the latter may be detachably secured to the sleeve 12.

A horizontal groove is provided in the cylinder 23 which co-a' cts with a suitable notch 36 in the socket 1250 that the cylinder may only be inserted in the socket in one position. e

To install my improved connecting plug on a lamp or other device-, the socket 12 is first inserted in the sleeve 11, then the-wires 25 are'placedin theslots'26 of the cylinder- 23 and drawn rearwardly so that'theter- The cylinder 23 is then inserted in the socket 12 and secured to the outer end of the socket 12 with the bayonet c'dnnection'33.

Among the many advantages arising through the use of my improved device it may be well to mention that as only two relatively sturdy insulating members are used namely, the cap 13 and the cylinder 23, there is very little chance of such insulation breaking down and short circuiting the device. There is'no'possible chance of the terminals 24 coming in contact with the socket 12 as longas the cylinder 23 remains intact be- I bores 27- against axial movement. Further,

the terminals 19 being hcldrin .the bushings 20 are positively, prevented from coming in contact with the socket 12.

TA further advantage results because no screws or parts which canpossibly jar loose are-used in the deviceso that it-is especially adapted .for use in automobile head lamps or other devices which are subject to vibration."-

Still a further advantage results because .each'terminal is resiliently urged into contact with its mating terminal to secure a good electrical connection independent of the other terminals o'f'the device. 1

A further advantage results because one f- '1 "id conncctim )lu m be smeo mylnpi n1 nl .b ay standardized and one or any number of circuits conducted through the device with only .a slight alteration of the cylinder and cap 13. The majority of the parts are the same for single, double, or triple circuit plugs. 1 7 Possibly the greatest advantage. aside from its cheapne'ss of manufacture results becauseithe device-may be assembled 0 -dismantled without the soever. I v Some changesmay be made in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts of my improved device, and it ia'inyintention to cover by my claims "such 1m" use of any tools 'whatrection.

aligned with said terminal and havin changes as may reasonablybe included within the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A connector comprisin a housing hav- 5 ing a sleeve extending-there om, an opening .in said sleeve, a socket adapted to be receivedby said sleeve,an insulating cap -secured to said socket having a projection extending therefrom adapted to co-act with the end of 10 said sleeve to form a stop for movement of the socket. in one direction, and a tongue resiliently extended from said sleeve adapted to co-act with said opening to form' a stop for movement of the socket in the opposite di- 2, A connector'comprising a socket having a cap secured in one end thereof said cap having a wire terminal reciprocally mounted therein, a cylinderof insulating material se- 20 cured in the other'end of said socket, said cylinder having a peripheral slot therein aligned with said terminal and having a counter-bore therein adjacent to said terminal and aligned with said slot and a wire in 'said slot having a second wire terminal secured thereto and disposed in said counter- I thereon length thereof and having counterbores' in one end thereof aligned with each of said slots, and insulated wires disposed in said slots each of said wires having a terminals e- I curedthereto and disposed in the aligned counterbore.

7. A connector comprising a sockethavin I i a cylinder of insulating material therein, sai' cylinder having a plurality of peripheral slots extending the length thereof and having counterbores in one end thereof aligned with the bottoms of said slots so as to be spaced fromethe periphery of said cylinder, and wires dis osed 1n said slots having terminals sposed in said counterbores.

8. A connector comprising a wire terminal spacer of insulating material and of c lindrical shape havin a longitudinal slot in the periphery thereo and having a counterbore therein aligned with said slot so that the wire may be laid in the slot and the terminal drawn into said counterbore to thereby prevent radial movement of the terminal.

' ERNEST RIEMENSCHNEIDER.

bore to be thereby heldaligned with the first bore to be thereby h d in position aligned with the first mentioned terminal.

, 4. A connector comprising a socket having a cylinder of insulating material therein, and an'insulated wire having aterminal'se cured to the end thereof, said cylinder having a Peripheral slot extending the length thereo receivingsaid .wire and havin a counterbore therein aligned with said ot, the counterbore receiving'said terminal to thereby prevent radial movement of the terminal in saidcylinder.

5.- A connector comprising a socket having a cylinder of insulating material therein,

an insulated wire havi a terminal of larger diameter than the wire msulation secured to the end thereof, said-cylinder a peripheral slot therein recei said wire and havin a counterbore therein aligned with a said ot the counterbore receiving said terminal to thereby prevent radial movement of the terminal in said cylinder.

6. Aconnectore0mpns1ng "asocke'tha a c linder of insulating material thu sai c linder having a lurali of uall s ud peripheral slots therein e itendigg a 

